Korea on the agenda in Madrid

Australia, the US and Japan have agreed in principle to support a taskforce to intercept North Korean ships suspected of carrying drugs or illegal weapons, Federal Government sources have confirmed.

Australia would be unlikely to provide naval vessels to any blockade, but would consider supplying SAS or navy boarding parties to intercept suspect ships, most probably from coastguard vessels, the sources said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer warned that the legal aspects of intercepting North Korean shipping were "very complicated", but an international meeting in Madrid was trying to tackle those issues.

The Government is working behind the scenes to convince other countries, particularly China, to support the interception of suspicious vessels. Government sources said a naval blockade was not being planned, rather a taskforce to intercept ships that intelligence suggested could be carrying nuclear material or drugs.

The participation of Australian navy ships was unlikely, but one senior Government figure said the SAS interception of Korean ship the Pong Su off the Australian coast after it dropped off heroin earlier this year, could be the model for Australian involvement.");document.write("

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Prime Minister John Howard has confirmed discussing intercepting North Korean shipping with US President George Bush, but discussions were in their early stages, he said.

The Madrid meeting, involving officials from the US, Britain, Italy, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain, is focusing on how to use or change international law to intercept shipments of weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, senior Australian officials predicted next week's meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum would produce a clear message demanding North Korea abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. In a background briefing, Foreign Affairs officials said they would not know if North Korea was attending the meeting until it began.